1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to air conditioning/heat pump systems, and in particular, it relates to air conditioning/heat pump systems that are installed onto the wall of a building and accessible from the exterior of the building.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Air conditioning systems in residential buildings are generally of two types. The first is a central air conditioning system wherein the compressor and condenser coils are positioned outside of a home and the expansion valve and evaporator coil are positioned inside of a forced air furnace within the home. This type of air conditioning system has little application in a home not having a forced air heating system.
The second type of air conditioning system is a window air conditioner unit. Although the purchase and installation cost of a window air conditioning unit is less than a central air conditioning unit, the window air conditioner has many disadvantages. The window air conditioner is much more inefficient than a central air conditioning system and more costly to run. The unit has to be relatively small to be placed within a window and the placement of the coils and the size of the coils along with the size of the compressor do not permit a very efficient design. The window air conditioner is also quite noisy since the fans and the compressor are enclosed generally in thin, relatively uninsulated sheet metal and plastic. In addition, the window air conditioner, when placed in a window, blocks much of the view through the window and partially extends into the room taking valuable space. Furthermore, a window air conditioner cannot be placed in a casement-type window which is being used in many of today's more energy efficient homes. Lastly, the window air conditioner is inefficient in its distribution of cold air into the room since the air intake and discharge are in close proximity due to the small size of the unit.
Several prior art patents describe air conditioning units that are mountable within or onto a wall structure. The Lauer U.S. Pat. No. 3,045,448, the Smith U.S. Pat. No. 3,308,634, the Okuma et al U.S. Pat. No. 3,785,434 and the Fessler U.S. Pat. No. 4,027,498 disclose air conditioning systems either mountable on a wall or within a wall. However, none of the above-mentioned patents teaches or suggests an air conditioning system suitable for residential home use.